


Angel I

by artisturtle



Series: Angel [1]
Category: Glee
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-12
Updated: 2020-01-12
Packaged: 2021-02-27 12:20:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,104
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22227043
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/artisturtle/pseuds/artisturtle
Summary: Quinn Fabray moves to Lima, Ohio with her parents and her sister. Rachel lives down the street, and when she sees Quinn for the first time, Rachel asks her if she’s an angel. AU and Pezberry friendship. Faberry endgame. Implied Brittana.
Relationships: Rachel Berry/Quinn Fabray, Rachel Berry/Santana Lopez, Santana Lopez/Brittany S. Pierce
Series: Angel [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1599925
Comments: 13
Kudos: 58





	Angel I

**Author's Note:**

> I own nothing. Except for this heck of a plot, although I must warn you that it has been five years since I have written a fanfiction. Kindly leave a review down below. Also, mistakes may be plausible despite my lowly efforts to have it proofread.

Rachel wakes up to the sound of a large vehicle outside. When she reaches up to her window, she chances to see the silver backside of a mover’s van parked in front of the white-painted, two-story Victorian era house two roofs down the street.

Rachel knows that it could only mean one thing.

“Daddy!” she screeches out as much as her six-year old lungs could muster, her little feet carrying her swiftly down the stairs. She walks up to her father who is making pancakes. “Daddy, we got new neighbors!”

Her father looks down adoringly at her and smiles warmly as he ruffles the chestnut mop of brown hair on her head. “Yeah, I suppose we do,” he says softly while he scoops up the pancakes from the griddle and puts it on Rachel’s plate. “How about you go have breakfast? Then we can go and check who our new neighbors are when they arrive and we can welcome them?”

Rachel eats her pancakes with gusto, her mouth alternating between chomping on the fluffy treat and telling her father question after question about their new neighbors. More than once, she wonders if their new neighbors have a kid her age.

Her Daddy cleans up after she’s done. Then, he tells her that Santana Lopez will be visiting her to play. The talk about their new neighbors is slightly forgotten, and Rachel rushes upstairs to prepare her playthings for her friend.

Santana shows up at around mid-morning, her mother in tow. Santana screeches for the young brunette. “Rachel! I got a new game, Pablo’s given it to me last night, hurry downstairs!”

Rachel equally screeches at Santana and Maribel Lopez just gives Hiram Berry an apologetic look. Rachel’s father just shrugs and smiles at the Hispanic woman. Maribel gives Hiram a grateful nod.

“Thank you so much for everything that you’ve been doing,” Maribel whispers softly as Santana impatiently takes two stair-steps at a time as she heads towards Rachel’s room. The elder Lopez looks like she’s about to cry, and Hiram swoops in for a gentle hug.

“Don’t mention it, Mar. This home is yours as this is ours,” Hiram coos softly against her hair. “Santana is always welcome here, and she will always be. As are the other children. They are safe here.”

Maribel sniffles. “I should be going. Things at work will not do by themselves.”

Hiram smiles. “Yes, they won’t.”

“Daddy!” Rachel screeches upstairs. “We need to watch a movie!”

The two adults at the foot of the stairs just share a laugh. Maribel excuses herself and heads outside, while Hiram goes upstairs to set up Rachel’s movie with her friend. Santana whines for popcorn, and Hiram rolls his eyes at the other girl good-naturedly before heading downstairs to make them.

x-x-x

Rachel bounces at the balls of her feet. The movie is coming to a close and they’re about to play that video game Santana has been dying to show her. She rocks excitedly, as if the news she’s dropping on the Hispanic girl next to her is something life-changing.

“I have news,” she tells Santana, who is curled next to her on the bed. “We have new neighbors.”

Santana looks up from her position. “Yeah? Where?”

Rachel shrugs at her friend. “Down the street. Didn’t you see the mover’s truck earlier?” she asks the other girl, but Santana just shrugs at her and picks at the popcorn kernels at the bowl between them.

“I didn’t. I was excited to show you my video game.”

“Do you think they have a kid our age?” Rachel asks absently, the end credits of Lion King rushing through the screen in front of them. In a few minutes they’ll be starting the game. The summer afternoon had been sweltering, and Rachel feels like they’re just going to melt into their mattress.

Santana shrugs again and gets up from her comfortable position on the bed. “Maybe,” she says as she looks out of Rachel’s window. “Do you wanna check? There’s a car pulling up the road, maybe it’s them.”

Rachel almost trips on her feet when she runs towards the window. It takes everything in her not to push Santana out of the way. They stay there, two girls with their noses pressed against the glass, watching as a blonde girl around their age gets out of the car.

“Is that an angel?” she asks Santana and the other girl just snorts.

“Angels have wings, genius.”

x-x-x

Her Daddy helps her bake welcome cookies for their new neighbors. Her Daddy also made chicken casserole. Together, they walk the few steps that separate their two houses. Rachel is exceptionally proud because her Daddy had allowed her to introduce herself. She feels like a very big kid.

They later find out that the family’s name is Fabray. Her Daddy and the adults seem to hit it off really quick. Frannie, the older Fabray girl seems a bit aloof, but Rachel couldn’t care less because the blonde girl her age sticks her right hand in front of her and gives her a smile missing a front teeth.

“I’m Quinn,” the girl shyly says.

Rachel smiles wide. “I’m Rachel. Are you an angel?”

Quinn’s eyes grow wide as saucers, and Rachel somewhat hears her father cough at the other side of the room. Even Frannie snorts loudly. She turns around, watching the adult’s wide-eyed amusement.

“What? Quinn’s really pretty. I thought she’s one,” she offers glumly, and the adults share a laugh. Rachel couldn’t get it, and so does Quinn. She shrugs at the blonde girl. “Maybe it’s an adult thing.”

They share a laugh.

x-x-x

On her twelfth birthday, it’s uncharacteristically warm for a December day. Quinn had asked her to go with her to the park that afternoon. It’s Saturday, and there’s a lull in the park even though only a few people are strolling underneath the wintry sun. The snows hadn’t set in, but then again, Lima’s winters are unpredictable.

They sit on the bench, their knees touching as they ate the sandwiches Judy Fabray had made for them. She claims she’s made Rachel’s extra special because it’s her birthday. Quinn glumly says that it’s just a chicken sandwich. Judy even let them have a thermos of orange juice.

Rachel had politely thanked Judy and gave her one of her best hugs because Judy made her chicken sandwich.

“I always love Judy’s sandwiches, Quinn. She makes them really special. Like, it’s her thing, you know. When we say sandwiches and we think of Judy. Like the way San’s mami makes those fajitas her thing,” she says between chews.

Quinn just gives her a nervous nod. Quinn has always been a jittery kid, but right now, she couldn’t help but bounce on her seat. She’s acting jumpy, and while Rachel had picked up on it five minutes into their time at the park, she did not try to say anything because she knows Quinn would tell her if she wants to tell her. However, when Quinn almost sloshes her orange juice on herself, Rachel has decided it’s already time to put her foot down.

“Hey Quinn,” she says and the blonde’s head snaps up to her. “Is everything okay?”

The blonde grins at her, but Rachel is already so attuned to Quinn’s feelings, and she knows the girl is anything but okay. She holds Quinn’s hand, it’s clammy with sweat and cold and shaking.

“Yeah,” Quinn breaths out. “I’m cool, Rae.”

“Be honest,” she says almost chidingly. She can smell Quinn’s lie from a mile away.

Quinn nods, too quick and too fast for Rachel’s liking. Rachel could practically feel Quinn’s relieved breath when the phone in Quinn’s jeans beeps incessantly. Rachel nods and  
Quinn gives her an apologetic look before whipping up her phone and picking up the call.

“Yeah, okay. Yeah, we’re heading home now,” Quinn speaks into the receiver. “Yeah, Uncle Hiram can pick us up, if he’s okay with it.”

During the drive home, Rachel wonders who Quinn was speaking to, but when they get home she forgets about what she’s wondering about when she realizes they’re holding a surprise birthday party in her house. Her friends from school are there, and there’s an accomplished grin plastered all over Quinn’s face.

“Oh my God, you totally knew all about this?” she screeches at Quinn, and the blonde girl just grins at her. “You’re such an liar, Quinn Fabray,” she huffs as she petulantly stomps her foot on the floor.

“But you loved it, didn’t you?” Quinn gives her a sickening, sweet smile.

“And such an angel too,” she mutters under her breath when Quinn laughs out hard.

x-x-x

She’s sixteen and Quinn had been obsessed with the skies since her birthday last February. It’s been roughly four months, and the blonde is not letting it up. Each summer night the said girl is sitting in their backyard, fiddling with that ridiculous astronomical telescope they had all pooled money in for her sixteenth birthday.

It’s almost annoying how Quinn had seemed to be more distant and more of a hermit. Rachel had been actively trying to salvage what’s left of Quinn’s social life, and it seems as if Quinn is more than glad to bury her social life six feet under the ground.

“Quinn, come on. Puckerman wants us there in his party,” she almost wails as she sits on the reclining chair on their backyard. The Fabrays have a backyard of their own, but there’s a large elm tree that Russell had refused to cut, much to Quinn’s chagrin. It’s why she’s currently camped out in the Berry’s backyard because it’s a perfect spot to do backyard astronomy.

“Rachel,” Quinn sighs. “I don’t want to go. Why not go with Santana?”

Rachel deliberately rolls her eyes. “I don’t want to. She’s with Brittany and they’ll just pair up the moment they get into the party. I’d be left behind,” she sighs. “I need you there, Quinn.”

Quinn snorts. “Ah, just keeping me for convenience now, are we?”

“Shut up and get dressed, you big oaf,” Rachel throws a can of Diet Coke at Quinn.

“Calling in favors and then calling me names,” Quinn sniggers haughtily at the brunette, all the while Rachel is muttering darkly at her. “Have humanity sunk so low nowadays?”

Rachel glares daggers at her. “You better be dressed in five minutes, Fabray.”

x-x-x

It turns out that Rachel, even for all her escapades at high school parties, could not hold her alcohol -- well, at least when it comes to the wine coolers. Three hours into Puckerman’s party and perhaps more than enough wine coolers, Quinn is dragging definitely intoxicated Rachel Berry back to her Jeep.

“It tastes like pink! It tastes like pink!” Rachel chants in her ear and it takes all of Quinn’s willpower not to punch her best friend because her patience is wearing thin and is almost torn at the seams.

“Jesus,” Quinn mutters as she puts the car on ignition. “Will you keep quiet for a moment, I need to back the car up,” she stares at Rachel who keeps chanting about the wine coolers tasting like pink.

She backs the Jeep, unceremoniously hitting Puckerman’s mailbox with a large crash. Puck rushes to the fallen mailbox as if it was a fallen comrade at war, and Quinn angrily gets out of her Jeep to sock Puckerman in the jaw. The boy must’ve been really drunk, because he falls flat on his back and he just blearily looks at Quinn.

“That’s for giving Rachel the wine coolers,” Quinn bristles before heading back to her Jeep and peeling out of the driveway.

They arrive at the Berry’s half and hour later, and Rachel has been retching the contents of her stomach for the past two hours. Quinn is pretty sure that the brunette had developed a kindled romance with the porcelain god already.

While waiting for Rachel to get out of the downstairs bathroom, Quinn decides to re-set up her telescope. It’s almost two in the morning, and she knows that with the moon below the horizon, she’s in for a treat.

She camps out in the Berry’s backyard, peeking at the stars at her leisure. She almost jumps out of her skin when she feels soft arms wrapping around her. She scrunches her nose at the smell of vomit, but she relaxes when Rachel nuzzles the curve of her shoulders.

“Quinn…” Rachel mutters.

Quinn sighs and she makes for the girl to stand on her feet. “We should get you to bed, Rae. It’s late and you’re drunk.”

Rachel shakes her head and lies on the recliner. “I just wanna stay here,” she says and she curls on her side.

Quinn wonders if Rachel had fallen asleep, because she’s already quiet. The blonde girl shifts on her seat, gets up to fetch the sleeping bag in the garage, and drapes it over the brunette’s sleeping form on the recliner. She places a soft kiss on Rachel’s cheek and closed eyes, and they flutter a little before the brunette lets out a contented sigh.

Then, Quinn sets about working on her telescope again, cursing Puckerman half the time she messes up with the lenses.

She knows the boy had done nothing related to her configuration on the lenses, but she’s still mad at him for giving Rachel those wine coolers, so she thinks that she’s in the right to cuss at him somehow.

“Hey you…”

“Fucking hell, Rachel! Are you trying to kill me?” Quinn turns her head so fast that she thinks she might have suffered from whiplash. The girl is on her side, facing her, eyes bleary and hooded.

“You and your telescope,” Rachel giggles, and Quinn knows she’s still drunk. “Seen stars already?”

Quinn snorts. “It looks like you’re the one seeing stars, Short Stack.”

Rachel giggles but gives her a dirty look. “I’m not short.”

“Yeah, and I’m an ape and Santana’s a virgin. Go brush your teeth, you toad. You look like vomit, you shouldn’t smell like it, too.”

“Fuck you,” Rachel mutters. The brunette pats the empty space next to her on the recliner, and Quinn dutifully scoots towards the drunk girl. “Come lie with me for a while, Quinn. The sky’s so pretty here.”

Quinn obliges and lies next to Rachel. They spend the next few minutes trying to spot constellations across the skies, and she ends up telling stories about Orion and his dogs and his quests. After some time, Rachel quiets again and Quinn wonders if Rachel had drifted back to sleep.

“I want to be a star,” Rachel claims. “Be someone who shines. It’s a metaphor, and metaphors are important.”

Quinn snorts almost derisively. Rachel punches her on the shoulder for good measure. It’s something that Rachel had been spewing off since they met each other a decade ago. Even when drunk, Rachel still remembers to talk about what she wants to be and who she wants to be, she’s so certain of the future and it makes Quinn ache.

Quinn gently runs the back of her left palm across Rachel’s cheek. “You are a star, Rae.”

Rachel grins toothily. “I know. I belong in the skies,” she says as if staking a claim. “You know what else belongs with stars, Quinn Fabray?”

“I’m pretty sure I can name a fe--”

“Hush, you be quiet, you’re ruining the moment,” Rachel drunkenly places a wayward finger against her lips and Quinn quiets. “Angels, Quinn. Angels belong with the stars. And that is what you are. You’re an angel. You’re a fucking, beautiful, honest-to-goodness angel. What do you think makes me love you so much?”

x-x-x

She’s three days into her eighteenth year on God’s green earth and she almost dies. It’s also when Quinn literally saves her.

She’s picking up the holiday presents that December evening and her car skids across the icy road before ending up in a pond several meters from the highway. The car’s engine had broken down, and the temperature is going down quickly and the ice-cold water is getting inside her car. It’s then that Rachel realizes her car is slowly sinking. Teeth chattering, she fumbles frantically for her phone and calls the first person that comes to her mind.

Quinn answers after the first ring, and she tells her what happened.

The blonde just asks her where she is, and then the line goes silent.

Ten minutes later, Quinn arrives on-scene, half-running and half-sliding across the embankment. Quinn wades into the knee-deep water, not even bothering the coldness that seeped inside their clothing.

Quinn had opened the car door, assessing the situation as she did so, and with a gentleness that Quinn rarely displays but is always in the undercurrent of her actions, she sets about getting Rachel out of the car.

The flashlight Quinn is holding momentarily blinds her, and after being delirious from her almost-hypothermia and perhaps also because of the concussion on her head and the pain from her scratches, she asks Quinn that one question she’s been always asking Quinn ever since.

“Are you an angel?” Rachel slurs out. “Have I died and you’re here to guide me to heaven? You look so much like this girl I love so much.”

Quinn punches her, although lacking the brashness, before pulling her out of the car.

The EMTs arrive thirty seconds later, and they wrap Rachel and Quinn in an emergency blanket and they both load them into an ambulance so they can get them to a hospital. Despite the ugly flashing of red and blue lights in the ambulance, she watches Quinn’s profile and she sees Quinn in a different light. It takes the air out of her lungs, because how could she be so blind to all of this?

Rachel Berry actually sees Quinn Fabray for the first time.

On hindsight, Rachel thinks that perhaps, it was also because of the near-death experience, but she leans over where their hands are joined, and she places a soft, innocent kiss on Quinn’s quivering lips.

It’s short and terribly sweet and innocent. When she pulls back, she sees Quinn’s hazel-green eyes staring at her, large swirls of emerald and topaz full of storms and questions and Rachel practically shrivels inside when she sees them.

And then, Quinn deftly pulls her bruised hand to her lips and kisses them gently. “You scared me out there, Rae. Please don’t let it happen again. I…I love you and I can’t lose you like that.”

Then, Quinn Fabray kisses her back.

**(#)**

**Author's Note:**

> I have fallen in love with Angel by FINNEAS, and this has been written borne out of that inspiration. It's a really good song. I am seriously considering to expand this into a multi-part series. Please leave a comment or review my friends, I would love to hear from you.


End file.
